1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computerized sound-making toys for small children; and more particularly to such toys that use voice-synthesis technology to sing songs or recite poems interactively with the children.
2. Prior Art
Children love to interact or cooperate with their toys. In the simplest form, little girls may play with their dolls or little boys with their action figures (or vice versa) in an interactive way.
In another form of interaction, children may preprogram a toy vehicle to move quickly or slowly, or to turn. This utilization by a toy of the child's input is a charming and exciting feature in toys. It is also particularly beneficial in stimulating the early development of children to function more than merely passively in their interactions with their environment.
The phenomenon of singing along with a familiar tune is of course well known. There have been toy-microphone devices that allow the child to speak or sing into a microphone and hear their voices amplified, or presented at a remote location. We are all familiar with being able to pick or select songs or the like from a selection of records, selections on a tape, or simply turning a radio dial.
In all of these instances, the involvement or interaction of a child user with the toy or other apparatus is relatively limited. It is more a question of selection and then sitting back and having the toy do the rest--or, at most, continued participation that is extenal to the toy, in the sense that the child can sing along or do play action on her or his own, but without any real interaction with the activity of the toy itself.